We go hands-on with the Sharp Aquos Crystal

Sprint has recently announced the Sharp Aquos Crystal and we were very eager to see it in person. Tonight, at an event in New York City, Sprint has shown off this device with stunningly-slim bezels. It's heading to the carrier Sprint and its prepaid Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile brands. Interested? Watch our hands-on video and photos!

The Sharp Aquos Crystal features a 5-inch 720p screen with very little bezel on the top and sides. There's an 8-megapixel camera on the back with 1.2MP on the front, a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 1.5GB of RAM, 8 GB for storage, and an embedded 2040mAh battery. It runs Android 4.4.2 KitKat.

Other key features include Harman's LiveStage, which adds dimension to sound, and Clari-Fi technology, which improves digital sound quality by restoring all types of compressed digital music.

Another interesting feature is a subscription service called App Pass that allows customers to access a hand-selected catalog of premium apps and games for $4.99 per month after a 14-day free trial. This is exclusive to Sprint in the United States. The App Pass catalog is curated with some of the world's top developers including Gameloft and Oceanhouse Media. It also includes select titles from other developers such as OfficeSuite 7 Pro, Camera Zoom FX, Minuum Keyboard, CamScanner and Color & Draw for Kids.

We're not used to seeing slim bezels on most smartphones, but after playing with the the Aquos Crystal, we'd like to see more manufacturers do the same thing. It makes devices with big screens feel much better to hold.

The Sharp Aquos Crystal costs $0 down and 24 monthly payments of $10 on Sprint Easy Pay. It will also available at Virgin Mobile and Boost Mobile both for $149.99 plus tax.

What do you think? Is this your type of smartphone? Let us know in the comments!